Iowa tight end DJ Vonnahme emerged as a key player during the 2025 season, especially in the ReliaQuest Bowl. As the team heads into 2026, there are plans to further integrate him into the offense.
Down the stretch of the 2025 season, the Iowa Hawkeyes witnessed an offensive playmaker blossom right in front of their very eyes with the emergence of tight end DJ Vonnahme, who was given a chance due to injuries, and ran with it.
He quickly became Iowa's go-to target down the stretch, highlighted by a monster game against the Vanderbilt Commodores in Iowa's ReliaQuest Bowl victory. Entering 2026, there is a focus to continue to incorporate Vonnahme into the offense even more, and offensive coordinator Tim Lester spoke about what that looks like.
"I want him to continue to grow. I hate to sound like a broken record, but there's so much he can do. We have a lot of -- everything you do is about your players. One of the main offseason projects I had was about him. There are a couple of different places around the NFL that do a good job and do some things that I think DJ can do. We've been studying them.
"We've added some things to help bring his talents to light, which you won't see Saturday, but you'll see in the fall. When you have players like that, you have to find ways for them to get the ball.
"We had some injuries that allowed him to move up the depth chart really fast, but I tell you, I'll never forget, the one play -- actually, I shouldn't say the one play. The one game that stuck out to me is when we played Oregon, and we had a bunch of injuries, and he had to put his hand in the dirt, which he's more of an F than a Y, but he can do both.
"He had to stick his hand in the dirt and block that defensive end from Oregon, which isnât an easy task. My man rolled his hips and walked that dude right out of there a couple of times. I was, like -- I can't say what I said, but this little guy is tough. I mean, compared to the guy he was standing next to. I think he's still 6'3", 6'4", but this D-end was a monster.
DJ Vonnahme had standout performances, particularly in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Vanderbilt, where he became a crucial target for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Iowa's offensive coordinator Tim Lester plans to incorporate DJ Vonnahme more into the offense, focusing on developing his skills and utilizing strategies from successful NFL teams.
DJ Vonnahme's emergence came after he was given opportunities due to injuries among other players, which allowed him to showcase his talent.
Iowa's offensive coordinator is Tim Lester, who aims to enhance Vonnahme's role in the offense by implementing new strategies to highlight his abilities.
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"The fact that he rolled his hips and walked that guy out of there was super impressive to me. It just makes him a complete player. When he's in there and is a threat to get the run game done correctly and can do what he can in the one-on-one situations on third downs, you just have a complete player.
"I'm excited about some of the things we've done. I really think Ortwerth has gotten better. I think Mason Woods has taken a step this spring to do some of those DJ-type things. I think we have some depth. It's one of the reasons I wasn't afraid to put things in that are only for DJ.
"That's hard to do, because you are one play away from not having any of those again, but we do have some depth. That's a great room for us right now. So we're trying to continue to do things to use them all and I'm excited to watch him continue to get better," Tim Lester said of DJ Vonnahme's expectations this year.
In typical Iowa fashion, Iowa is much deeper than just DJ Vonnahme, even though he may be the lead guy in the tight end room. The Hawkeyes are carrying talent and depth in the tight end room, which not only allows Lester to expand the playbook, but also allows him to trust that he can call those plays at anytime, regardless of who is in the game.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire : Iowa football TE DJ Vonnahme entering 2026 with high expectations